Super Stardom
by purplesparkleypanda
Summary: Following her performance at Final Jam, Mitchie Torres is signed to Connect 3's record label. In order to keep her contract, she is forced to change her image, and to become someone she's not. Camp Rock continuation, Mitchie's POV.


The lights went down as the last note of the song resounded throughout the theater. Suddenly, all the lights turned back on, revealing a cheering audience and all of us with giant smiles on the stage. I was still holding on to Shane's hand, but I didn't really care, and he didn't seem to either. I wasn't quite sure on the status of our relationship, but surely I would find out soon.

It was at that very moment that I realized that Camp Rock was over for the summer. My wild, crazy, Camp rock summer was actually over. As we made our way through the crowds, I realized some of us were crying, but not me. I looked for my parents throughout the many faces, and saw Peggy find hers. She was glowing with life as she embraced her mother, and I was very happy for her. I dragged Shane through the crowd, trying to find my mom and dad, when there was a tap on my shoulder.

I didn't really know what to expect when I turned around, except that maybe it was my mom or dad, but when I actually did turn around I was very confused.

"Charlie?" Shane asked, taking a step back in surprise.

Shane motioned for me to follow him this time, as this Charlie character and us got out of the still prominent crowd.

"What are you doing here?" Shane asked, with a strange face. It seemed like he didn't know whether or not to be happy or upset.

I just really wanted to know what was going on, and why he tapped _me_ on the shoulder.

"Well, I had to see the winner who was going to be recording the song with us," Charlie answered with a smile, "and I'm glad I came. I got to see that impromptu performance of yours."

Shane blushed a little; the song wasn't the type of music he usually sang these days. I realized that this Charlie fellow had to be some sort of big time guy in Shane's career if he had said "recording the song with us".

"Allow me to introduce myself," Charlie said, turning to me now, "I'm Charlie Statesman, producer for Shane and the rest of Connect Three."

Well, now I understood Shane's strange behavior.

"Okay, it's very nice to meet you," I replied, holding out my hand.

Charlie shook my hand like how you would expect a strong business man to shake your hand.

"What is your name young lady?" Charlie inquired.

"Mitchie . . . Mitchie Torres," I replied, wondering why he really cared.

He took out a small, slim piece of paper and put it in my hand. I looked down. It was a business card.

"Mitchie, you have talent. If you're interested, I would like to produce your debt CD."

The room suddenly felt like it was closing in on me. Had he really just said that? Was I really just offered an actual record deal? My heart began beating fast in my chest, and I got a really nervous feeling. Shane's mouth was to the floor, and I wasn't quite sure if he was pleased, confused, or angry.

"Ummmm . . . okay," was all I could manage to get out of my mouth.

And that's how it happened. I was discovered at Camp Rock. My life would never be the same.

-

At first, life didn't seem much different to me. Shane was supportive despite his warnings of the controlling tendencies of his company. I was home, acting like a normal girl, and acting like my biggest dream could possibly come true.

Shane was on tour in Japan.

I was starting school again.

Sophomore year was the year when you're still the younger kid, but almost an older kid.

I was walking out of school when I finally got a call from Shane. It wasn't like we were dating yet, but we talked every day.

"Shane, isn't it like early in the morning in Japan?" I asked, confused as to why he wanted to call.

"Of course, I stayed up to talk to you, and if my calculations are correct, you are walking out of school right now," he laughed.

I smiled.

"I suppose your calculations are correct," I confirmed, "and how are you Mr. Gray?"

"Fine Ms. Torres, fine as can be now that I'm talking to you."

This couldn't be happening. I was friends with Shane Gray.

And he probably liked me.

"So are you like super popular now at school?" he asked, "not trying to sound conceited or anything, but you are friends with me now."

"Well no one knows that," I explained, "I'm a little far from popular as of right now."

"Why? You have a record deal in the works and everything-"

"No one knows about that," I cut him off, "I don't need people staring at me."

He laughed, "Mitchie, when your CD comes out, EVERYONE will be staring at you. And when they see us together . . ."

"I'm nervous Shane, I'm not sure if I can do it," I told him.

"Mitchie, you are an AMAZING singer, you are great."

"Thanks," I said, "my mom is here, I have to go. Can you call me later?"

"Sure Mitch," he added, "one more thing though . . ."

"Yes?"

"Is it okay, well . . . do you think I could tell people that you are my girlfriend?"

My heart stopped. He really did like me.

"Um . . . sure, I guess so," I replied, trying to stay calm.

"Okay, talk to you later babe."

"Bye."

I skipped down the steps of the school toward my mom's catering van.

And missed the last step.

My feet buckled in under me, and I landed hands first on the pavement.

"Mitchie!" my mom yelled, flying out of the car toward me.

People were staring at me. I thought maybe they were laughing.

"I'm fine mom," I said, dusting off my jeans, "I'm okay."

She picked up my backpack, and I limped toward the car, away from the smirks of my fellow classmates.

All I could hear in my head was, _"Mitchie, you are an AMAZING singer, you are great.", _and _"Do you think I could tell people that you are my girlfriend?"_

Ha, they'll see when I'm a famous singer, on the arm of Shane Gray.

I'll show them.

-

"Mitchie, dinner time!" my mom yelled upstairs.

I was just completing the rest of my chemistry homework. Whoever invented chemistry MUST have been crazy.

"Hey mom," I said, as I walked into the dining room.

"Yes dear?"

"Is it okay if Caitlyn comes and spends the weekend here with us?" I asked, pulling out my chair to sit down.

"Of course," my mom replied, setting down a couple tacos in front of me.

"Where's dad?" I asked, looking around.

"He'll be home soon, just working late."

"Oh, okay," I said, blowing on my first steaming hot taco.

"So Mitchie, I've been meaning to ask you."

"Yes?"

"Why are you talking with Shane so much? Is there something going on?"

I blushed.

"Well, actually mom," I explained, "Today he asked me to be his girlfriend."

She smiled at me, "that's great dear. I just don't want you to be getting hurt or anything. You are going to be very busy when you start recording next week."

"I'll be fine," I said.

We ate the rest of our tacos in peace.

Until the phone rang.

I darted out of my chair to get it.

"So how's my favorite future popstar?"

"Shane!" I exclaimed, taking the phone up to my room.

"How was your day?" he asked.

"Well, right after I got off the phone with you I tripped on a step at school," I explained, "and a bunch of people laughed at me."

"Aw, well are you okay?"

"Of course, I just remembered what you said about not worrying about things like that, and I didn't even care that they laughed," I explained.

I knew he was smiling on the other end of the phone.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"Full of screaming Japanese school girls," he laughed, "tiring."

"I can imagine," I said, "Charlie called me yesterday. I start recording Friday night."

"That's awesome, listen Mitch, I have to go now, we have another meet and greet," he said, a bit of sadness coming through in his voice, "but I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay, goodnight Shane."

"Night Princess."

I wasn't sure if it could get any better than this. Shane made me feel fearless, like plunging headfirst into the world of a recording artist would be just easy and amazing.

With Shane I felt like I could do anything.

-

It was finally Friday, and the recording appointment with Charlie was finally here. It was crazy to think it had been a month already since Camp Rock ended, and that I would be making a CD with someone like the producer of Connect 3. Then, my best friend Caitlyn would be coming later than night to stay the weekend.

Shane had told me to stay calm, and to listen and do everything they said, so that they didn't get mad and change their mind. He said they had done that before, and that they almost got dropped at one point for being defensive about the music.

He told me just to sing whatever they wanted me to.

The recording studio felt like a fish bowl, there were a couple of people I didn't know staring at me. I would be singing my song, "This is Me" for a test recording. They had Caitlyn's background music prerecorded onto a CD ahead of time.

_This is real, _

_This is me,_

_I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now,_

_Gonna let the light shine on-_

"Mitchie," Charlie interrupted, "Girl, you're doing great for your first time, but do you think you could make your voice sound a little more . . . sexy?"

Sexy? I wasn't sexy. I was the 'girl next door'. I was more of a 'cute' than sexy.

"Um, okay, I'll do my best," I said.

I re-sang the last part as 'sexy' as I could.

"AMAZING!" Charlie exclaimed. All the record executives were all nodding their heads.

"You know what Mitchie; we are going to make you into a STAR!"

A star? Me? I couldn't believe it. All these people who meant a lot in the music business were calling _me_ a star! I couldn't wait to tell Shane.

After the recording session, we had a short meeting in one of the rooms.

"Mitchie, we wanted to talk to you about your image," Charlie explained, "right now, 'cute' isn't really in."

"Um . . . okay?"

"So what we are asking you to do, well, TELLING you to do, seeing as you are under our contract, is to change your name."

"Well, to what?" I felt a little uneasy.

My publicist was writing on something furiously, and a lot of eyes were staring at me.

"We want you to go by Michelle for now on, maybe even Shelly," he explained, "Mitchie sounds too baby-ish for the image we want to portray you as."

"What image are we going to be portraying her as?" my publicist, George asked Charlie.

"Right now it's popular to be sexy, and Michelle is a name that fits that criteria," Charlie explained, "we have it all planned out. Michelle will go tomorrow for her make-over with our stylist."

"What? But I have plans!" I said, realizing my mistake.

"This comes first," George explained, "you still want to do this, right?"

"Of course," I said, "do you think I could bring a friend tomorrow?"

"Sure," Charlie said.

Caitlyn would have to go with me to the make-over. It was for my career! I'm sure she wouldn't be mad on me skipping out on the movie we were going to watch.

I had to do this. I had to prove myself.

I could be Michelle. I was fearless, just as Shane said.


End file.
